Buying Specialty Burial Garments
Buying Specialty Burial Garments
No matter where you are doing your funeral planning or what type of interment you choose, the funeral director will eventually ask you to choose a burial garment for the deceased. Although you can decide to bury or cremate a loved one without any clothes at all, instead opting for a burial shroud, most people prefer to have the deceased dressed in some kind of outfit. This is generally a requirement for an open casket burial, and favored among families struggling with their loss.
Most people select a burial outfit from among the deceased’s own closet. This makes sense for several reasons, including reducing funeral costs and ease of access. It is especially relevant if the deceased was a hobbyist and you wish to bury him or her in an outfit that reflects a particular lifestyle.
However, not every family feels up to the task of sorting through a closet to select a fitting burial outfit, and there may be additional circumstances that prevent easy access to the deceased’s personal effects. These include:
- Overwhelming grief at the thought of selecting a favorite gown, dress, or suit from the deceased’s personal effects
- Marked weight loss or weight gain due to illness in the months preceding death
- A particularly devastating accident that makes an outfit unnecessary or impossible
- Lack of access to the deceased’s home or closet
- Unwillingness to part with a favorite outfit for sentimental reasons
- The deceased’s wish to be buried in a specialty garment
- Religious requirements
What Are Burial Garments?
Burial garments allow you to select an appropriate outfit to bury the deceased in regardless of your circumstances. You can choose anything from formalwear like a suit or gown to cotton pajamas that evoke a peaceful feeling. And because these items are designed for use in burial or cremation, they come with features that don’t exist on traditional clothes, including:
- Modest necklines and sleeves to fully cover the body
- Cut to allow the body to be dressed respectfully by the funeral attendants
- A variety of colors and styles to complement the casket interior
- Supportive undergarments designed for a body at rest
Most funeral homes carry burial garments as part of their stock, making it easy for you to choose an outfit or shroud while you do the rest of the funeral planning. You can also find burial garment providers online, many of whom provide overnight shipping and other express checkout options so that you can be assured of receiving the item in time for burial.
If the thought of choosing an outfit for the deceased is too much to handle—or if you simply want to take advantage of an easy solution to the clothing question—burial garments could be the perfect solution. Ask your funeral director for more information on what is available and what kinds of costs you can expect.
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